Iskenderun is a bustling, modern city with many restaurants and cafes on a palm-fringed bay at the foot of the towering Amonos Mountains.
Alternatively, Iskenderun can be approached via Antakya. Off the main road on this route is the mountain resort of Sogukoluk - popular in the summer with people wanting to escape from the heat of the sun. After one crosses the Belen Pass, one can see Bagras Castle, held in succession by the Byzantines, the Crusaders and the Mamluks.
If approaching through Adana, one passes through miles of orange groves and orchards - this area supplies citrus fruit to the whole country. Off the coastal highway that skirts the Gulf of Iskenderun lies Yakacik (Payas) which has a 16th century Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Complex, including a mosque, bath, bazaar, caravanserai and an ancient school. Other monuments include the Cinkulesi (Tower of Jinns) and a castle. In the plain of Issos is Dortyol where Alexander the Great finally defeated Darius II's large Persian army.
